Type-writing machine



(No Model.)

T.j J. DOWNING. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 510,331. Patented Dc. 5, 189s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. DOWNING, vOF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,331, dated December5, 1893.

Application filed December 20, 1892. Serial No. 455,767. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. DOWNING.,1

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county ofLogan and State of Iliinois, have invented a new and useful Attachmentfor Type Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for turning the platen in adjusting thepaper in a type-writing machine. I

It is the common practice in operating such machines as the Remington,Caligraph and others provided with a revoluble platen, mounted upon acarriage, and a hand operated spacing lever to rotate the platen, tointroduce and set the paper by means of the said lever by which thepaper can be moved only forwardly or by turning they platen by hand, thefingers of the operator frequently coming in contact with the paper.This practice occasionaily, if not frequently, causes l soiling of thepaper besides being inconvenient, slow and uncertain. Therefore, it isthe object of this invention to provide an improved and simple deviceadapted to be connected to the roller mechanism of machines such asabove mentioned whereby the platen may beturned, reversed and adjustedat will to set the paper, without reference to the spacing lever andwithoutl requiring the operator to touch the platen or paper, suchdevice being so constructed as to be attachable to machines now in use,and the attachment being accomplished without altering or modifying theconstruction of the machines. n

Furtherobjects and advantages of my invention will appear in thefollowing description and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of thecarriage of a typewriting machine, with the invention applied thereto inthe operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same,partly broken away to show the manner of attachment. Fig. 3 isaperspective View of the attachment, with its members detached. Fig. tisa detail sectional view, showing the spindle of the milledhand-wheel andthe means for the attachment of the latter thereto. t

1 represents the frame of the carriage, 2 the side-bar of such carriage,3 the platen,

and 4. the spacing-lever, all of these parts being of the ordinary andwell-known construction and arrangement. Furthermore, 5 repre- 5 5 sentsthe spindle of the platen, such being secured at its extremities to theside-bars of the carriage, and 6 represents an end plate which issecured to and caps the end of the platen.

Secured to the end of the platen, as shown 6o in Fig. 2, is a disk 7,which is provided with a spur-wheel 8.v This disk is provided with acentral aperture 9 through which projects the spindle of the platen, andby this construction it will be seen that the device is capable ofattachment to any machine of this class now in use, for the reason thatit is simply necessary to withdraw the screws which secure the end-plate6, fit the disk over thespindle and reinsert the screws so as to engage7o and secure the disk and plate to the platen, as indicated in saidFig. 2.

10 represents a bracket which is adapted to be attached by means of ascrew or screws 11 to the upper side of the side-bar of the carriage,such bracket being provided with depending flanges 12 12 to engagethe-edges of the side-bar, and in this bracket is formed a bearing 13.

lil'represents a spindle which is mounted 8o in the bearing 13 and isprovided at one end (its inner end) with a pinion 15 whose teeth meshwith the teeth of the spur-wheel 8, and upon whose outer end is fitted amilled handwheel 16. The bore of the hu'b of this hand- 8 5 Wheel isprovided with a key 17 which engages a groove or flat 18 in the side ofthe spindle to prevent independent rotation, and the terminal of thespindle is reduced and threaded to receive a securing nut 19, to hold.9o the hand-wheel in place. Thus, it will be seen, that the platen isprovided with aspur- Wheel which is concentric with its spindle, and thehand-wheel carries a pinion which meshes with such spur-wheel to enablethe platen to be turned and reversed at will to adj ust the paper. Itwill be seen, further, that this device may be applied to the carriagewhen the latter is manufactured, or may be attached to the carriage ofany ma- 'roo chine, of this class,lnow in use.

The form of the bracket, 10, is immaterial to my invention, and must beconstructed to accommodate the form and arrangement of the particular`class of type-writer to which it is to be applied. For, instance, incertain machines the side-bars of the carriage are more remote from theends of the platen than in others, thus necessitating an extendedbracket for attachment thereto. ture, however, does not form 'anessential part of my invention; itis necessary, simply,

to provide a bracket, capable Iof being at,y

tached to the frame of the carriage and having a bearing for the spindleof the device.

The advantages gained by the use of this attachment,whereby theplatenmay lbe turned in either direction without requiring the aid of thefingers in the reverse movement, without the ractual grasping of theplatenor paper, and without.ca'usingthe jerking lof the platen and theuncertain feeding and'set'ting of the paper as when the spacing-lever isemployedfor vthis pi1rpose,`will`be apparent to those 'skilled yin thisart without further explanation herein. y p

Changes in the torm,proportion anfdminor details `of construction andarrangement may be resorted to without'departing from the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any Ior' *the ad vantages thereof.

The attachment may be appliedto either end of the carriage and may bearranged either in vi'r'ont- `or in rear of the spindle ef th-e platen,to suitthefs'tyle of machine and the convenience of the operator. p

Although the particular form of the handwheel does not form an essentialfea-ture `oi' my invention, that shown in the vdrawings is convenient'and preferable, the same having a perforated or open-Work web 20provided at its periphery "with an outwardexten'ding flange 21 whose-outer surface is milled, as shown. It should be understood,furthermore, that while I have described my invention in connection witha particular form fof type This feawriter in which for convenience thespurwheei is shown and described as attached to the end of the platen,it is not essential to my invention that this precise arrangement befollowed.

It is desirable *that the attachment be connected 'to a feed-roller, andpreferably the controlling feed-roller, namely; that roller to which isapplied the power in spacing and feeding the paper. In the form ofmachine illustrated in the drawings such feed-roller is the platen, butthis varies in different machines. y

Having th'us described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. Asa new articleof manufacture an attachment ifor `Ya roller plattenty pe-writin g inachin'e kcminprisinga spur-wheel adapted to be fixed'toene fend ioi? the platen, a bracket and a'hand-Wheel carried by thebracket and provided With a pinion meshing with said spur- Wheel,whereby the platen may be set, advanced or reversed, without graspingthe same, substantially as specified.

2. An attachment fora roller 'platcntypewriting 'machine comprising 'aspur-Wheel fixed to one A'end of the platen, a bracket and means forsecuring'the same to the frame of the machine, a hand-wheel having its`spindle mounted ,ina bearing in said bracket, and a pinion carriedbythe Vspindle of the hand- Wheelandmeshing with said 'spur-wheel,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I `claim the foregoing 4as my own I have hereto aiixed`my signature in the presence Aof 'two witnesses.

THOMAS J. DOWNING.

Witnesses:

E. G. KING, L. B. STRINGER.

